The 2024 postseason is upon us as the PGA Tour embarks on its annual pilgrimage to TPC Southwind to ignite the FedEx Cup Playoffs for the third consecutive year. The St. Jude Championship, scheduled from August 15-18, serves as the opening act for the top 70 players from the regular season.
The Stakes at TPC Southwind
The battle begins with 70 elite contenders, but by week's end, only 50 will advance to the BMW Championship. This critical cut not only determines who continues in the playoffs but also guarantees those inside the top 50 a spot in every PGA Tour signature event for the 2025 season.
Players on the Edge
Among the notable golfers teetering on the brink of elimination are Jordan Spieth, Min Woo Lee, Justin Rose, Nick Dunlap, and Nick Taylor. Viktor Hovland, currently ranked No. 57, faces an uphill battle despite a commendable third-place finish at this year's PGA Championship. His challenge is amplified by his troubling statistics, where he ranks 175th out of 176 players in approach and around-the-green performance.
Scottie Scheffler's Pursuit of Perfection
Scottie Scheffler aims to clinch his eighth victory of the year and enter the Tour Championship with a commanding two-stroke lead for the third consecutive season. Joined by fellow stars Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy, this trio boasts ten PGA Tour victories in 2024 alone, underscoring their dominance on the circuit.
The Formidable Pack
The competition doesn’t end with Scheffler, Schauffele, and McIlroy. Golfers like Collin Morikawa, Ludvig Åberg, Patrick Cantlay, Tony Finau, Sahith Theegala, Sungjae Im, Justin Thomas, and Brian Harman are all within the top 20 of the FedEx Cup standings. Despite their high rankings, none of these players have managed a victory in 2024, making the upcoming championship an enticing opportunity for a breakthrough.
Course Challenges and History
TPC Southwind, playing to a par 70 over 7,243 yards, continues to challenge even the most seasoned golfers. Xander Schauffele, for instance, hasn’t placed outside the top 25 since February's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, yet his best finish at this course traces back to 2020, where he secured his only top-20 finish. Rory McIlroy, on the other hand, has showcased consistent performance with four top-12 finishes in his seven trips to TPC Southwind, including a T3 finish last year.
Players to Watch
Collin Morikawa, with three top-20s in four appearances at this venue, remains a formidable contender. Patrick Cantlay also stands out, backed by three consecutive top-25 finishes and notable top-five results at the U.S. Open and the Travelers Championship.
The Road Ahead
The St. Jude Championship promises intense competition with a lucrative purse of $20 million on the line. As the tournament progresses, each stroke will carry enormous weight, and every mistake could prove costly. The quest to advance to the BMW Championship and secure a spot in the 2025 signature events ensures that the pressure will be palpable, marking this as a must-watch event for golf enthusiasts.